Deadline to spot errors in land use maps extended to Feb 11

Those keen on submitting any errors they have found in the existing land use (ELU) maps now have some more time to do so. The civic body has decided to extend the deadline from January 24 to February 11.

The move comes after citizens’ bodies found more than 950 errors in the maps over the past few months.

The groups had met standing committee chairperson Rahul Shewale and officials from the development plan (DP) department of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) last week demanding an extension of the deadline.

BMC chief Sitaram Kunte confirmed the extension.

Meanwhile, taking a cue from citizens, corporators now want a chance to participate in the DP process as well. Makarand Narwekar, an independent corporator from Colaba, has demanded that a separate general body meeting with all 232 corporators be called to discuss the DP-revision process. “It is an issue that will concern every citizen in the city for the next 20 years and beyond. It is therefore imperative that we, being representatives of the city, be more involved in the process.”

Backing him, Asif Zakaria, a congress corporator, said, “Citizens are not obliged to carry out the scrutiny, which is a task that our consultant should have undertaken. The BMC must take our opinions into account and lay bare the facts of the payments made to the consultant for such a flawed job.”

The civic improvements committee, which deals with land issues in the city, has also asked the DP department to review the process and make a presentation to the committee.

Dr Ram Barot, the chairman of the committee said, “We are alarmed at newspaper reports which have stated that there are serious errors in the maps. So, we have asked to be told of the status of the review by next week.”

Hindustan Times has been consistently reporting on the serious errors that are being found in the ELU maps, forcing the civic body to take cognisance and allow the public to scrutinise them. Earlier this week, HT had reported how the total number of errors in the maps climbed to 957.